Cuadrilla has relinquished three shale gas licences in Yorkshire, its Australian owner confirmed this morning.

A statement from the A J Lucas mining group said the licences were “considered to have lower prospectivity”.

AJ Lucas did not identify the licence numbers or locations.

But research by DrillOrDrop has established that they are:

PEDL287

In East Yorkshire, between York and Beverley, including the towns of Pocklington and Market Weighton.

PEDL290

In North Yorkshire, in the Vale of Pickering, south of Pickering and Scarborough and north of Malton.

PEDL342

In East Yorkshire, east of York, including the village of Stamford Bridge.

All three licences were awarded to Cuadrilla in 2016, under the most recent onshore licensing round, the 14^th.

At the time, the target hydrocarbon in each licence was identified as shale gas. Cuadrilla committed to drill one well in each licence.

Since then, the company has not applied for any planning permissions or environmental permits in any of the licences.

Extensions

AJ Lucas also said one-year extensions had been granted to another five Cuadrilla 14th round licences.

When the licences were first issued in 2016, the initial exploration term had been due to expire in July 2021. AJ Lucas said the term would now run until July 2024.

The company did not identify these licences either. But DrillOrDrop has established that the extensions are to the following licences, all of which were intended to target shale gas:

PEDL276

South Yorkshire, including parts of Doncaster and land to the north west, including Thurnscoe, Bolton upon Dearne, and Darfield.

PEDL288

East Yorkshire, north of Pocklington and west of Driffield

PEDL333

East Yorkshire, including Filey and Bridlington

PEDL346

East Yorkshire, including Driffield and east to the coast

PEDL347

North Yorkshire, including Scarborough and south into East Yorkshire.

At the time these licences were awarded, Cuadrilla committed to drill one well in each area and to frack in PEDL276. Since then, the company has not established any exploration sites in the PEDLs.

AJ Lucas said the company continued to “progress a number of conventional gas opportunities on its onshore licenses”.

It said its shale gas licences in Lancashire, which include the moth-balled Preston New Road fracking site, were not affected by the extensions.

Map credits:   UK Onshore Geophysical Map with Open Street Map